French photographer Patrick Demarchelier was the first non-British photographer to click the British Royal Family. As a teenager, Demarchelier loved to capture his friends and family. He later turned this interest into a profession and earned enormous success in the field of fashion photography. His work on Princess Diana and for Harper’s Bazaar earned him international fame and appreciation. Till date, Demarchelier has worked with all the top brands and shot some of the most beautiful models and celebrities from across the globe.
Born in an unpretentious family near Paris, on 21st August 1943, Demarchelier lived with his divorcee mother and four siblings in La Havre. In his early teens, the Frenchman was convinced he wanted to take up photography as a profession. On his 17th birthday, he was gifted an Eastman Kodak camera by his stepfather and Demarchelier spent little time to learn how to develop films and improve negatives.

In 1975, Demarchelier followed his girlfriend to New York where he explored and learnt fashion photography

by working as a free lance photographer. He soon found himself socializing and working with well known photographers like Jacques Guilbert, Terry King, and Henri Cartier – Bresson who played a big role in helping him develop his skills and discover his own style. His creativity and skill soon got noticed and drew the attention of famed publications like 20 Ans Magazine,Elle and Marie Claire. In September 1992, Patrick got the chance to work for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar which not only earned him fame and appreciation but also a 12 year alliance. This also helped him tap other top international brands like Calvin Klein, Celine, TAG Heuer, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Dior and Louis Vuitton.

Demarchelier is mainly known for his pictures of Princess Diana. Impressed by his work in Vogue especially the photograph of a model opening her coat to show the picture of a laughing boy placed in the inside pocket, the princess got in touch with the French photographer and soon developed a friendly bond with him. Demarchelier soon got an opportunity to shoot Princess Diana in her natural environment and his charismatic personality and stunning photography led him to become the official photographer of the Royal Family.

Although he has been described as “A worshipper of female beauty” by writer Glenn O’Brien, Demarchelier has maintained that he is equally eager to capture animals, landscapes and ugliness. He claims that he is fond of beauty and that it is something which is not restricted to young women. Yet the photographer is famous for his sensual nudes featuring some of the most beautiful women in the world.

Among the numerous gorgeous women he has shot, the nudes of supermodels, Claudia Schiffer, Giselle Bundchen and Naomi Campbell have won him a lot of critical acclaim. According to Demarchelier, a woman looks her prettiest best when she is caught unaware and is trying to cover herself in front of the camera and it is this mix of timidity and nudity that he likes to capture in his photo shoots. Some of the other famous personalities he has shot include Anthony Hopkins, Bill Clinton, Robert De Niro, Madonna, Reagan, Elton John and Tom Cruise.

In 2007, the photographer was honoured with the most prestigious French award for an artist by Mrs Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture, who declared Demarchelier as an Officer dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres on the 50th anniversary of the award. A true legend in every sense of the term, Patrick Demarchelier continues to grace hundreds of covers with his sensual photographs.